


the red poppies dance

by Riverdaughter



Series: Dick and Dami Week 2021 [6]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), Forever Evil (Comics), New Teen Titans, Nightwing (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Titans (Comics)
Genre: Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson Whump, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Gen, Gotham Rogues - Freeform, Hurt Dick Grayson, I feel like im finally getting how tags work, Missions Gone Wrong, Post-Forever Evil (Comics), Protective Damian Wayne, dickanddamiweek2021, no beta we die like nightwing, titans missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 21:55:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30011532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riverdaughter/pseuds/Riverdaughter
Summary: He’s been trying to suppress the terror that comes at the idea of being captive once again, but now alone with consciousness slipping from his grasp all he can think of is his time with the Crime Syndicate. Foes with the faces of his friends, the gleaming barbed lasso, Owlman’s unnerving fascination and Luthor’s sly smile.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Garth & Dick Grayson & Roy Harper & Donna Troy & Wally West
Series: Dick and Dami Week 2021 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199723
Comments: 9
Kudos: 79
Collections: DickAndDamiWeek2021





	the red poppies dance

**Author's Note:**

> Dick and Dami Week 2021 
> 
> Day 6: Proud / ~~Protective Brothers / “You’re safe”~~

It’s a Titans mission that goes belly up, which well, about a third of Titans missions do fall apart half-way through. With a few glaring exceptions they have always pulled them back together, regrouped, improvised and won out in the end.

Dick has lived through plenty of botched rescues. His specialty is having a back-up plan for his back-up plans and when that doesn’t work being able to pull something together on the spot. It’s why time and again the leadership of the team has always ended up back with him. But right now, watching Donna dodge what might be laser fire, or might be something more deadly, realizing that Roy is fast depleting his extensive supply of weaponry he is beginning to doubt himself.

Garth is panting and parched looking, and Wally is slowing down, Dick himself feels fuzzy and light-headed and he probably has a concussion, but he has to come up with something, anything.

This had seemed like a perfect mission for the original five of them and now all he can think is that he’d give half of Wayne Enterprises to have starbolts from Kory, Raven’s devastating power or even a green dinosaur or two curtesy of Garfield.

But he’d chosen _this_ team and a team, not matter how skilled is only good as their leader and Dick is failing, weakening as he finds it harder and harder to dodge.

“Fall back,” he shouts as he stumbles clear of an ambush.

Donna takes a hit to her right shoulder, but she makes it back to the rendezvous, as does Roy and Dick starts breathing easier. Wally and Garth start backing up towards the shelter of the overhanging cliffs that Dick had picked out on a sunny morning that seems days rather than hours away.

Roy is down to whatever pebbles are strewn on the ground and Dick has three batarangs left by the time that Wally and Garth make it. They are nearly in the safe zone when one of the lasers targets Wally.

Dick barely has time to open his mouth to warn him before the blast hits; not Wally but one of Garth’s protective magics. It helps, he can see that, but Garth still takes the brunt of it and if Dick is concussed, Garth is nearly unconscious.

They have to get out before the enemy regroups, Dick has been running through possible gambits to get them all out and safe. And not one of them gives even the faint promise of them all being alive in the end.

He switches goals and decides that a plan that gets even most of them out is worth it. Donna can only fly one of them out, so he suggests she take Garth. And Wally is far too exhausted to run very long with even one of them. Roy and Dick are the best at improvising weapons so it’s a toss-up but Roy is bleeding from an ugly stab wound and Dick fights dirty, asks him if he really wants to leave Lian without her father. Besides, Dick is the leader, it’s his job to take the fall when no one else can, to go down with every sinking ship and failed mission. To ignore his own mortality if he can only get his team out safe and sound. He got them into this and he’s darn well going to get them out.

Donna argues, Wally tries to reason with him, but they are all professionals, they know how the game is played and how it’s lost. Somebody has to stay behind and give them a opening and Dick reminds them that somebody had yelled an order to take Nightwing alive. He’ll probably be fine; he’s survived more than his fair share of imprisonments.

Donna wavers looking at Roy’s stab wound, and he can see that Wally is worried about Garth who’d been injured keeping Wally safe.

They don’t stand a chance against Dick who has been arguing with Batman since he was eight.

It works, Dick plays the distraction and Donna flies up and out with Garth clinging to her good hand, Wally zips away with Roy. Dick has a moment of wild elation that they are safe before the whole focus of their enemies turns on him and something hits his already throbbing head.

He’s been trying to suppress the terror that comes at the idea of being captive once again, but now alone with consciousness slipping from his grasp all he can think of is his time with the Crime Syndicate. Foes with the faces of his friends, the gleaming barbed lasso, Owlman’s unnerving fascination and Luthor’s sly smile.

* * *

He wakes up restrained, staring up at a cavernous ceiling that feels faintly familiar, and he really, really hopes that it’s not a spaceship, or underwater. Dick is determined and clever and has enough training to make Houdini green with envy, but if he is in space or miles underwater none of that means anything at all.

He’s still lightheaded and shaky and he wonders how long he was out, how long he’s been in enemy hands, if they have stripped him of his mask again and he realizes that it’s gone. It’s happened again, he’s the weak link, it will be his fault if his family’s identities are made public and he wonders briefly what Bruce will do this time.

And then there is a warm hand in his and a soft “tt” sound that can only be one person and he has a moment to look around wildly, panicking as he wonders how Damian was captured.

“Stop, Grayson! Cease this, you’re safe.” Damian says and concerned sea-green eyes peer down at him.

“Batcave?” Dick gasps out surprised by how raw his throat feels and realizing why it felt so familiar.

“Yes,” Damian confirms, gently undoing the restraints.

And all Dick’s early fears come flooding back, “How long?”

How long since he was captured, how long since he was rescued? How long has Bruce had to come up with some impossible mission for him to redeem himself? How long has Damian sat here, a silent protector for an older brother who should be protecting _him_.

“You were dosed with fear toxin last night,” answers Damian, “It’s been twelve hours.”

And everything Dick remembers; the mission, the oddly faceless enemies, his fears, the Titans caving in and leaving him behind, his faulty leadership. None of it is real, it was a mirage, a mist of lies and half-truths and Dick wonders how much the others heard?

Was Bruce here, listening to Dick as he panicked? Tim and Jason? Stephanie? Barbara? How much of Dick’s innermost thoughts and fears have they heard?

“Father is in the Manor,” Damian tells him, “Todd and Drake are out patrolling now. No one else has been here besides us four and Pennyworth.”

And what a mess, is all Dick can think because he can read between the lines. Bruce is definitely brooding upstairs while Jason and Tim deal with their brother-induced worry by losing themselves in patrol.

Dick is already dreading the fallout, but right now he can ignore the coming storm and sleep with Dami’s hand secure in his own. 

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from a line in the Green Fields of France, I was listening to it when I wrote this and a realized that it felt oddly appropriate in some ways. 
> 
> And I'm curious, did you figure out that it was all fear toxin before the big reveal...
> 
> Nota Bene: I am a cafeteria canonist, I try to keep people in character but DC keeps killing people or giving them amnesia, or having them beat up their kids (you know who you are) so this is technically au. Or if you prefer, Dick really is high on fear toxin so whatever is going on in his head doesn't necessarily reflect whose actually around.


End file.
